Light emitters, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) or LED chips are solid state devices that convert electrical energy into light. LED chips can be utilized in light emitter packages for providing different colors and patterns of light useful in various lighting and optoelectronic applications. For example, light emitter packages can be used in various LED light bulb and light fixture applications and are developing as replacements for incandescent, fluorescent, and metal halide high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting applications.
Manufacturers of LED lighting products are constantly seeking ways to reduce their cost in order to provide a lower initial cost to customers, and encourage the adoption of LED products. Brighter, more efficient LED chips and/or packages can allow lighting manufacturers to use fewer LED chips to get the same brightness at a lower cost and/or increase brightness levels using the same LED chip count and power. Such improvements can enable delivery of improved light emitter packages and/or systems for less total cost than other solutions.
One problem associated with conventional light emitter packages incorporating light emitters is that in multi-chip packages light becomes trapped within gaps between LED chips and/or absorbed by side walls adjacent gaps between LED chips. One solution to this problem includes applying a blanket coating of a white solder mask material within the gaps to increase reflection. However, light passing into and/or through portions of the solder mask material can still be absorbed or trapped within gap areas of the package. As such, this solution falls short of achieving a desired increase in package brightness.
Thus, despite the availability of various light emitter packages in the marketplace, a need remains for brighter, more cost-effective light emitter packages and/or methods which consume the same and/or less power and are more reflective as compared to conventional packages. Such packages and methods can also make it easier for end-users to justify switching to LED products from a return on investment or payback perspective.